Thursday, July 17, 2008

The Dodgers of the 1990's are slowly fading away. First Mike Piazza; now Hideo Nomo has announced his retirement. From AFP via Diamond:

TOKYO (AFP) — Japanese right-handed pitcher Hideo Nomo, who won National League Rookie of the Year honours in 1995, on Thursday announced his retirement from baseball.

The 39-year-old Nomo, who pitched two no-hitters in the US Major Leagues, announced his decision on his website, saying only: "Retiring. July 17, 2008. I announced my retirement from my playing career."

He told Japanese media that while he wanted to keep playing, he could no longer pitch competitively.

"I want to continue, but I don't think I can deliver a professional-level performance anymore. I believe many clubs think the same way," Nomo told Kyodo News.

"I knew I had to make some kind of decision. I knew I had to let my fans know," he said.

Nomo never was one for many words, but his impact on the Dodgers—and baseball—is worthy of celebration.

"Sully Baseball" brought this up months ago: How should the Dodgers commemorate Hideo Nomo?

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comments:

I don't think Nomo gets the respect he deserves. Just because he wasn't as flashy or famous as Ichiro - he gets all the attention for paving the way for Japanese players. Ridiculous, I say! Baseball should retire Nomo's number like Jackie Robinson.